Storage battery.



No. 810,929. PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906. W. FENNELL & W. P. PERRY.

STORAGE BATTERY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1904.

I NVENTEI as I NITEI Yarns PATENT orrron.

WILLIAM FENNELL AND WILLlAM P. PERRY, or LEYTONSTONE, ENGLAND.

STORAGE BATTE RY.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed March 17, 1904. Serial No. 198,346-

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM FENNELL and WILLIAM PAGDEN PERRY, citizensof the cation, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This'inve-ntio'n relates toelectric accumulators or secondaryelectrolytic cells; and it consists in'means forintroducing the electrolyte to intimatecontact with the active material and of supporting thematerial.

tion in a lead cell.

According to our invention while we greatly increase the porosity of aplate we at the same time provide a support or binding for the'activematerial. According to our invention we provide a network honeycombedsupport on which is spread a film of the active material. We may easilycontain the whole of the electrolyte in the plate itself. lVe may usegranules of conducting substance, such as metallic balls or the like,(but for the negative electrodes in a lead cell we do not include theuse of lead granules covered with lead oXid,) or granules of inactivematerial, such asv umice, or tubes, rods, or granules of porce ain orclay or the like or granules of a concrete of the porous materials andactive materials. We rollthe granules, rods, and the like in orotherwise cover them with a layer of active material and fill into thecontaining vessel, grid, or support while the layer of active materialis stil soft, thus insuring good contact between the gran ules. Thethickness of layer ma be easily regulated by proportioning the v lilmeof active material to that of inactive material before mixing. Ifnecessary, we increase the thickness of layer by any usual means, suchas by plating metal from a solution or by depositing litharge from awarm alkaline solu- We embed a conductor in the mass and prefer where itis subject to corrosion to coat it with a dense la er of inactivematerial which serves to ma re a good contact with the bulk of activematerial and to protect the conductor by preventing free access to theelectrolyte. We prefer to form the plates or electrodes in position evenwhere they appear to fill the cell solid. The elasticity of thehoneycomb support prevents more'than a moderate pressure being exertedby the expansion of the active material, and such pressure as is createdis beneficial in solidifying the mass and insuring a good contact withthe conductors. We preferably pierce the blocks with vertical holes tofacilitate the egress of gas, as otherwise it is liable to drlve up theelectrolyte in making its escape. A

prolonged and high rate may be sustained durin the whole discharge, asthere is no need or any circulation of the electroly te, as eachparticle of active material has in actual contact with it the properamount. of electrolyte to completely charge or discharge it.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 1s a sectional view of a granule,showing the coating of active material. Fi 2 is a sectional view of aseries of granu es, showing the contact between the granules. Fig. 3 isa sectional view of an electrode formed from the granules. Figs. 4 and 5are fragmentary views showing the sloping holes in the electrodes orplates; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a .cell, showing the granules,a conductor, and the protective coating for the conductor.

In the drawings, 6 indicates a series of preferred granules, and a thefilm or thin coating of active material therefor.

0 indicates the spaces between the granules that form the network orhoneycomb.

'd and e indicate, respectively, the sloping and vertical holes in theblocks, plates, or electrodes.

f is the conductor, and g the protective coating of active materialtherefor.

Having thus fully described our invention,

what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electric accumulator, a honeycombed mass, an active material onthe exposed surfaces of the mass, andunobstructed passage-ways formedtherein besides the interstices of the mass for the egress of gas.

2. In electric accumulators, a honeycombed mass, an active material onthe eX- poscd surfaces of the mass, and communicating un bstructedpassage-ways formed therein besides the interstices of the massfor theIn Witness whereof we have hereunto set egress of gas. our hands inpresence of two witnesses.

3. In electric accumulators, a honey- WILLIAM FENNELL combed mass anactive material on the ex- 4 I Q M 5 posed surfaces of the mass, andunobstructed W PERRY passage-ways formed therein besides the in-Witnesses:

terstices of the mass, certain of said passage- HY. FAIRBROTHER,

ways being inclined for the egress of gas. WM. F. NEWCOMER.

